Porkeyes wrote:Watching that gormless **** Jones crashing into our players without reply all game was making my blood boil. He's one of those I want to vent my anger at in the return fixture but he'll be too far away to hear my abuse and let's not forget him rolling around last year for the Feghouli dismissal.

After that game , and the constant stick he got, I was sure Jones spat into the West Ham fans near the tunnel, (could be wrong mind) but just to be sure let's give him it all at ours this year dirty northern scum

To be fair, they were on a different level than us, which you would expect when you spend close to 170 million on Lukaku and Pogba.

Difficult to say exactly how bad a result that is for us until we see how they get on against other teams of our ilk. I loved watching Zab, that block in the second half I would argue saved a goal as that was travelling.

We lost the game in midfield with Obiang, Noble and Fernandes. I believe with Carvalho (hopefully), Kouyate and Lanzini we would have given them a run for their money. Not saying we'd have won but the game would have been very different. Likewise Antonio for Ayew.

That being said, our defence lined up like many expected and they were lacking, probably as a result of nothing in front of them.

Obiang and to some extent Masuaku didn't have performances that we have come to expect so that's another factor.

Also having Carroll to sub on late in the game and bully their defenders. Ah what I'd give for a fully fit West Ham.

We lost the game in midfield with Obiang, Noble and Fernandes. I believe with Carvalho (hopefully), Kouyate and Lanzini we would have given them a run for their money. Not saying we'd have won but the game would have been very different. Likewise Antonio for Ayew.

That being said, our defence lined up like many expected and they were lacking, probably as a result of nothing in front of them.

Obiang and to some extent Masuaku didn't have performances that we have come to expect so that's another factor.

Also having Carroll to sub on late in the game and bully their defenders. Ah what I'd give for a fully fit West Ham.

I'm inclined to agree with this - it's the midfield and it has been for a while. We were as poor as they were good, to be honest - but the reason they were so good was the middle of their side, where Matic bossed it. It gave them control and enabled their more forward-thinking players. Let's hope Carvalho gets across the line and does a similar job for us.

We just had no-one to hold the ball for longer than a few seconds. It's games like this that make me think that Antonio, Kouyate and Lanzini are especially key - ball carriers, the first two eating up ground, Lanzini able to beat a player - these things give the back 4 protection as we're further away from our own goal.

I still haven't seen much in Fernandes that, right of this moment, gives the lad a place in the starting 11.

I think most if not all of us can accept losing away to a rampant Man Utd. What is hard to take is when we seem to simply roll over and ask for our tummies to be tickled, and don't even appear to do the basics in terms of getting in their faces, not giving them time and space on the ball and making them work hard for the win.

They seemed to be strolling through us at will and, if we're all honest, that scoreline probably flattered us in the end. Money is money but it's 11 vs 11 in the end and the minimum we ask for is to compete at the basics.

I don't want to get too pissed off about the result. I expected a home win and at least one Lukaku goal and so it transpired. We were soundly beaten by a team that cost a fortune to put together and better teams than us will lose up there this season. I was though disappointed with some if our players more than others. Reid had a poor game and Zabaleta was comfortably our best defender, it was a game that was crying out for Collins. Ayew just seems such a monumental waste of money, I just don't see what he brings to the table. I think Arnautovic will do well for us, he put himself about and wanted to be involved whenever he had the opportunity and I reckon we have a potential star in Declan Rice. Overall a disappointing, but hardly unexpected result. Onwards and upwards.

I sat through a full re-run - have to say, I've seen us play far worse. Honestly.

I forgot that Arnie hit the bar, Sakho missed a free header from six yards, Hernandez miscued a volley and how many decent crossing and final ball opportunities we had having moved the ball quite nicely into the final third. We'll beat lesser teams than Man U if we stick at it.

And Zabaleta had a good game. Sakho got half hour and should still be alive by the next time a game comes and Rice also got half hour.

This is the best Man United team for years, better than the last one that won the league.

Colours never run wrote:What did you make of Noble in the 1st half watching back Bubbles?

Same as watching it live - thought he was decent. He was the one player in our central midfield who looked pretty comfortable in possession. Physically almost all our boys took a bit of a stomping in that half.

Obiang and Masuaku were the two who really couldn't cope with the intensity of Man U's onslaught between 10-30 minutes. Fernandes was a bit peripheral. Reid and Ogbonna were just about hanging in.

The odd bit is that it looked like we had weathered the storm, then bang - they hit us on the counter.

The free kick goal didn't kill us as much as I felt it did at the time - we kept plugging away until the last five minutes.

Having watched it back, it looks like Reid was Lukaku's marker during that game, Masuaku had Bailly at the corners, Ogbonna had Pogba. Reid and Masuaku lost Lukaku at a corner after about 6-7 minutes both going with Bailly.

Watching their first goal on replay was interesting - see which players were busting a gut to get back, and which of them had the speed to match Man U's in a sprint.

I also thought we weathered the predictable storm early on and was beginning to get a foot hold in the game and then Obiang had a horrendous ground opening moment. For the gial it was Ogbonna that switched off because had he remained alert and didnt stop running back, the goal would have been prevented.

I also thought that by the end of the half had we scored when it was harder to fluff our lines (again Obiang shooting down the keepers throat and Fernandes weak effort) we could have rocked them as it was on the stroke of half time which is always a great time to score and throw the managers plans out the window.

It looked more like teething problems bedding everyone in away at one of the hardest places to play so you could see some were ring rusty (which is why I was more surprised how bang on Noble was especially considering he was out injured in pre season). I did see encouraging signs but on the whole of course it wasn't good enough.

And it's not every week we'll have to face 1 of the best teams in the League currently away.

bubbles1966 wrote:I sat through a full re-run - have to say, I've seen us play far worse. Honestly.

I forgot that Arnie hit the bar, Sakho missed a free header from six yards, Hernandez miscued a volley and how many decent crossing and final ball opportunities we had having moved the ball quite nicely into the final third. We'll beat lesser teams than Man U if we stick at it.

And Zabaleta had a good game. Sakho got half hour and should still be alive by the next time a game comes and Rice also got half hour.

This is the best Man United team for years, better than the last one that won the league.